Combined grain-door and loading and unloading platform for box-cars.



No. 708,300. Patented Sept. 2, |902.

" J. S. BENDER. A COMBINED GRAIN DUUR AND LOADING AND UNLDADING PLATFORMl FDR BDX CAR-S.-

(Appliceton filed Jan. 3, 1902.)

(No Model.)

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JACOB S. BENDER, Oli"u KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.`

COMBINED GRAIN-DOOR AND LOADING AND UNLOADING PLATFORM FOR BOX-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 708,300, dated September 2, 1902. Application led January 3, 1902;' Serial No. 88,298. (No model-l To all whom t may concern/.-

Be it known that I, JACOB S. BENDER, a citi-4 zen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, Jackson county, Missouri, have invented a new and useful Combined Grain-Door and Loading and Unloading Platform for Bort` Cars, of which'the following is a specification.

My invention relates to combinedVV graindoors and loading or unloading platforms for box-cars; and my object is to produce a structure of this character which prevents leakage of grain in transit, does not take up any of the space which should be occupied by the contents of the car, which facilitates the loading or unloading of the latter and the loading or unloading of thewagon or of goods onto or removal from the platform, and which is of two sections, the upper one ofwhich when` not in use may be caused to assume and maintain a position completely out of the Way.

A further object is to produce a structure possessing the characteristics above enumerated, which can be manipulated easily and quickly and with the utmost convenience, and which may be built on the car during the construction ofthe latter or attached thereto at any time desired.

With these general objects in'view the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter described and' claimed, and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in whichliigure 1 is a sectional perspective view of the inner side of a portion of a car and showing the same provided with a structure embodying my invention. central section of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the same, taken below the upper section of the door.y Fig. 4lC is an en larged vertical section showing the temporary position which the upper section may occupy. Fig. 5 is an outer face view showing the lock or one of the looks for securing the door in its closed o r operative position.

1 designates a box-car of the usual or any preferred type, and 2 the door opening thereof.

3 designates the lower or platform section of the door, the same being of suitable height and hinged at its lower end to a strip 4E, so-

Acured to the casing.

Fig. 2 is a vertical` `'cured to the floor or sill of the car, the hinge extending, preferably, the full Width of the `door in order to obviate any chance of grainleakage at that point.

The door is provided at its outer side with one or more cross-ribs 5to stiften it, .said rib, or one of the ribs, at least, being preferably of tubular construction and provided near its opposite ends with the inverted-U-shaped slot 6, and iitting in each end of the tubular rib is a slide-bolt 7, provided with a handle 8, adapted to depend through one arm or the other of the U -shaped slot, accordingly as the bolt is locked or unlocked. When in the outer arm of the slot, the portion 9 of the rib prevents the bolt from being withdrawn from the socket 10 in the adjacent side of the casing.

To break the joints between the lower or platform section 3 and the sides of the casing, so as to prevent leakage of grain thereat, the former is provided with inwardly-projecting flanges 1l, arranged to fit snugly between the casing and the vertical angle-plates l2, se-

These plates not'only serve to prevent leakage of grain at the sides, but also relieve the. bolt largely of any inward pressure which might be applied on the door, and by reason of the iianges of the latter ittin g snugly between the casing and said plates practically no lateral creepage of the door is permitted.

13 designates the upper or sliding section of the door, said section being adapted to overlap the upper edge and inner side of the hinged section 3 of the door and is formed with right-angle flanges 14: at its ends, which snugly embrace angle-plates 12 when in operative position. The upper edge of said section is reinforced by aplate 15 of practically the same cross-sectional'form as the door-section 13-that is, is provided with angle-arms 16, embracing the angle-flanges 14C of the sec* tion, which angle-arms 16 are provided with the rearwardly-projecting terminals 17, arranged to iit snugly against the outer edges of guide-brackets 18, secured to the rear faces of the side standards of the casing, preferably, and forming a guide wherein the angle-arms 16 are adapted to play. Opposite the upper end of the door-opening said brackets are formed with theinwardly-projecting loops 19, from the upper ends of which the brackets IOO extend parallel with the adjacent roof-carlines, as at 20, and are secured to said carlines, as at 2l, at a suitable point inward of the door-opening. When the upper section i3 occupies its operative position, as shown in Figs. l and 2, it is interposed snugly between the lower section and the vertical portions of brackets 1S, so that the ear may be loaded above the upper edge of the hinged door-section, if desired. If it be desired to move the upper section out of the way temporarily-as, for instance, where it is desired to load over the hinged door-section when closedthe attendant grasps the upper section and slides it upward until the angle-arms of plate 15 come opposite loops 19. He then forces said arms rearward in lsaid loops and swings the section inward to a horizontal position, so that the iiat sides of the angle-arms resting upon the lower and substantially iiat portions of the ribs may sustain the section in a horizontal position,substantiallynas shown in Fig. i, from which position it is obvious it may be easily and quickly lowered by reversing the manipulation described. When it is desired to move the upper section completely out of the way, it is grasped while in the horizontal position described and raised bodily to the upper portion of the loop, at which point the under portion of the section is preferably swung upward toward the roof, so that the angle-arms of the plate may pass into the space between the upper portions 20 of the brackets and the carlines to which they are attached. This being accomplished, the section is slid inward to substantially the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, when it is engaged by a gravitydog 22 and held reliably in such position against its tendency to creep downward and outward under the constant vibration of the car while in motion, it being understood, of course, that the dog is thrown upward to approximately the position shown in dotted lines, so as to dispose it in a position ready for automatic engagement with the section when finally located at the proper point. The reverse of the manipulation described is followed in lowering the door-section to operative position.

From the above description it will be noticed that the door forms practically a permanent part of the car, and therefore cannot be misplaced either through carelessness or accident, and it will also be understood that because it occupies the door-opening it permits the car to be loaded to its full capacity without increasing the depth of load beyond what it should be. It also, by reason of its adjustable construction, saves time and lightens labor at elevators that is now consumed in prying and splitting open the usual wooden doors preliminary to removal of the contents of the car and facilitates the loading of or nnloading from platforms and wagons. When used for grain, coal, or bulk vegetables, the lower section can be lowered, as shown in i'roasoo Fig. 2, and4 becomes a practical shovelingplatform, so as to eliminate all hand-picking necessary with the type of doors in general use.

Because the door structure is entirely of sheet metal it embodies the desirable features of simplicity, strength, durability, and cheapness of construction, and it is to be understood that while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of the invention it is susceptible of changes in its form, proportion, detail, construction, and arrangement of the parts without departing from its spirit and scope.

Having thus described the invention= what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a device of the character described, a door-section hinged at the lower end of the car-door opening, so as to perform the function of a door and of a loading or unloading platform or shoveling board, brackets secured to the car, and consisting of lower upright portions, and upper portions extending substantially parallel with the carlines of the car, and an upper section provided with arms `fitting and adapted to be adjusted between said brackets and the car-frame, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character described, a door-section hinged at the lower end of the car-door opening, so as to perform the function of a door and of a loading or unloading platform or shoveling-board, brackets secured to the car, and consisting of lower upright portions, and upper portions extending substantially parallel with the carlines ofthe car, an upper section provided with arms fitting and adapted to be adjusted between said brackets and the car-frame,and a gravitydog to engage said section when the latter is supported by the upper portions ofthe brackets, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the character described, a door-section hinged to the lower end of the car-door opening, so as to perform the function of a door and of a loading or unloading platform or shoveling-board,brackets secured to the car, and consisting of lower upright portions and upper portions extending substantially parallel with the carlines of the car, embodying inwardly-projecting loops at or near the junction-point of the upper and lower portions of the brackets, and an upper section, provided with angle-arms adapted to it between the brackets and the car-frame, and adapted to be supported in said loops, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the character described, a door-section having its lower edge hinged at the bottom of the door-opening and adapted to swing outward, and provided with inwardly-projecting flanges at its sides, and angle-plates secured to the sides of the doorcasing to provide space wherein said iianges fit when the door-section is closed, substantially as described.

IOO

IIO

5. In a device of the character described, a door-section having its lower edge hinged at the bottom of the door-opening and adapted to swing outward, and provided with inwardly-projecting flanges at its sides, angleplates secured to the side of the door-casing to provide space wherein said ianges fit when the door-section is closed, and means for securing said section in its closed position, substantially as described.

6. In a device of the character described, a door-section having its lower edge hinged at the bottom of the door-opening and adapted to swing outward, and provided with inwardly-projecting iianges at its sides, angleplates secured to the side of the door-casing to provide space wherein said flanges fit when the door-section is closed, a tubular rib secured to the outer side of the door and provided with an inverted-U-shaped slot, .a boit fitting in the tubular rib to engage a cavity in the doorcasing, and provided with an arm adapted to depend through one arm or the other of said U-shaped slot, and thereby hold the bolt in its locked or unlocked position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JACOB S. BENDER. Witnesses:

H. C. RODGERS, G. Y. THORPE. 

